Toward a standardized seismic evaluation of public-school buildings: insights from a case study in Tijuana, Mexico

Abstract This paper discusses the seismic performance of existing schools based on the analysis of a reinforced concrete school building located in Tijuana, Mexico. The building has an illustrative configuration and geometry of schools in the region. Ambient vibration tests and complementary studies were conducted to evaluate the actual behavior of the building, including concrete rebar scanning, carbonation detection, core sampling, and soil mechanical properties. The material characteristics and dynamic properties allowed the calibration of a detailed 3D model in OpenSees. Nonlinear static and dynamic analyses were conducted using the analytical model to obtain the response under 77 different ground motions. The reported damage was related to the actual capacities of schools based on a field inspection after the September 19, 2017 earthquake in Mexico. Vulnerability curves were then used to determine the probability of damage in structural and non-structural components and, therefore, the overall performance under the imposed scenarios.